Travel Advisories

Travel Advisories

18th Street Bridge Over I-676 Closed for Construction

Last of Seven Bridges to Move to Construction under $64.8 Million Project

King of Prussia, PA – The 18th Street bridge over Interstate 676 in Philadelphia will close to northbound vehicles and pedestrians for approximately one year beginning at 9:00 AM on Monday, May 15, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today.

The bridge is the last of seven bridges over I-676 to go to construction under PennDOT’s $64.8 million project to rebuild deteriorated spans over I-676 between 18th Street and 22nd Street.

During construction, northbound 18th Street motorists will be detoured east on Vine Street, north on 16th Street and west on Vine Street to access 18th Street.

Pedestrians will be directed to the sidewalks on 19th Street over I-676. Later this month, pedestrians also will be able to cross over I-676 on the newly-built pedestrian bridge between 18th Street and 19th Street.

The new, single-span 18th Street bridge will replace the original two-span structure that was built during construction of the original Vine Street Expressway in the 1950’s. The new 18th Street bridge will include two northbound travel lanes, wider sidewalks and new street lights, ornamental fences and concrete planter boxes similar to those in place on the new 19th Street bridge over I-676, which reopened earlier this spring. The 18th Street bridge is expected to be completed by June 2018.

Five additional bridges over I-676 remain under construction, including the former Family Court building, Free Library, Benjamin Franklin Parkway/20th Street, 21st Street and 22nd Street.

The entire project to replace seven bridges and expand and improve public space on and around the bridges is scheduled to be completed in late 2018, a year ahead of schedule.

Buckley & Company, Inc. of Philadelphia is the general contractor on the project which is financed with 100 percent federal funds.

For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those made possible by or accelerated by Act 89, or those on the department’s Four and Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 825 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.